Alcohol labelling decision a travesty for unborn babies

At a meeting in Australia last week, trans-Tasman
ministers responsible for food safety voted to allow the
alcohol industry yet another two years to ‘voluntarily’
warn consumers of the risks of consuming alcohol during
pregnancy.

Alcohol Healthwatch Director Rebecca Williams
says the industry’s voluntary efforts over the past two
years have been pathetic and typical of their delaying
tactics to avoid regulatory intervention.

Ms Williams says
effective labelling is proven to raise awareness of the
risks of consuming alcohol during pregnancy. Children
exposed to alcohol in the womb are at risk of serious and
permanent brain damage and other life-long disabilities,
known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. She says, the
rights of these children are being overlooked to protect the
profits of the alcohol industry.

A New Zealand-led
application for warning labels was submitted to Food
Standards Australia New Zealand in 2006. In response and
after years of delay the alcohol industry was given two
years to include warning messages on products voluntarily.
Those two years were up in December 2013.

An independent
audit undertaken in Australia showed that alcohol industry
efforts were totally inadequate. The audit* of 250 products
in Australia found that while there had been some
improvements since 2012:

· only 37 percent
carried any version of the Drinkwise consumer information
messages

· only 26 percent carried a
pregnancy-related message

· the majority of
warning messages (86 percent) took up less than 5 percent of
the label

· of products carrying the industry
label most (59 percent) were at the back of the
product.

Williams says both the Australia and New Zealand
Governments are well aware of the risks associated with
drinking alcohol, and they are aware of what is required to
address these risks.

“Self-regulation and voluntary
codes of practice by the alcohol industry are shown to be
ineffective and do nothing but delay more effective measures
being adopted.”

In a speech about vulnerable children in
August 2013 the Prime Minister John Key said, “As Prime
Minister, I want to see every one of our children getting
the very best start to life. They deserve nothing less.”
** Ms Williams says better warnings on alcohol products
would help many children get a better start.“This
latest alcohol labelling decision clearly demonstrates the
power the alcohol industry wields. It is time for
Governments on both sides of the Tasman to push back and
make decisions based on the evidence and what is in the best
interests of the wider community, especially those without a
voice.”

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